Joc-joc Bolante arrived already in RP from the US last Tuesday night but brought to the St. Luke’s medical Center not in the Philippine Senate. The question, will he appear in the Senate to answer all the accusations hurled against him being the architect in the multi-million fertilizer scam? How will the opposition in the Senate handle Angara’s refusal to re-open the case?

Below is a news update from abs-cbn.NEWS.com

“Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn ‘Joc-joc’ Bolante arrived from the US Tuesday night and vowed to appear before the “proper forum” to give his side on allegations that he orchestrated the diversion of P728 million in fertilizer funds to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s election campaign in 2004.Bolante arrived at the NAIA on board Northwest Airlines flight 71 around 10:45 p.m.”

“Bolante, who has visibly aged and lost weight, was then wheeled to the airport’s immigration office for processing.”

“After the processing at the immigration, he was whisked to a white ambulance van which took him to the hospital.”

Upon arrival at SLMC, Bolante was immediately taken to a room.

Dimacali said the Senate arresting team will be guarding the former agriculture official while he undergoes the check up.

UPDATE from abs-cbn.NEWS.com: Joc-joc Bolante is on Northwest Airllines flight 71 to Nagoya, Japan en route to Manila according to Alfonso Cusi’s, Manager of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport . He said at ANC, “The info we had is Jocjoc Bolante is on board Northwest 71, that’s coming from [a] source which I can’t name, it’s confirmed that he is on board Northwest 71.”

“We’re making arrangements… he has to follow normal process for arriving passenger, except that of course, he being a deportee, he has to undergo certain processing, turnover from [US] marshal escorting him to our officers here in immigration,” the airport chief said

For those who are waiting for Jocjoc Bolante, sorry but your man will not arrive in the country as expected. He is still at the US after he failed to board Northwest Airlines flight 71 bound to Nagoya, Japan. Don’t worry; said the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), he is still in their custody. Here is an excerpt of that news

Former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante failed to board Northwest Airlines flight 71 to Nagoya, Japan en route to Manila after he was ordered deported by the United States earlier this week.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), however, said Bolante, wanted by the Philippine Senate for repeatedly ignoring its summons to explain his alleged involvement in the malversation of P728 million in fertilizer funds, is still in their custody. ICE did not elaborate. According to Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau correspondent, they did not see Bolante on the Northwest flight 71 bound for Nagoya from Detroit as of 4:05 a.m. Manila time.

Gail Montenegro of the US ICE, meanwhile, told ABS-CBN new bureau chief Ging Reyes in an e-mail that Bolante “remains in the custody of the immigration and customs department.

“Mr. Jocelyn Bolante remains in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending his removal from the United States,” Montenegro said.

She, however, did not say anything about Bolante’s present location.

Montenegro added that Bolante has been accorded due process and is awaiting a final order for deportation from a federal immigration judge.

A check at online flight status Websitewww.flightstats.com, meanwhile, said Northwest flight 71 left on time from the Detroit International Airport. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 6 p.m. in Nagoya.

Tentative schedule for arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1, on the other hand, was at 11 p.m. Tuesday.

From: abs-cbn.NEWS.com

But upon his arrival at the Airport, he will immediately be arrested. Senate president Manny Villar already issued an order to Gen. Jose Balajadia Jr., the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to implement the arrest order. Villar insisted that the arrest order issued against former Agriculture Usec. Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante for his failure to attend the public hearings of the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) on the P728 million Fertlizer Fund Scam is still valid.

Although Jocjoc Bolante’s lawyer Antonio Zulueta warned that only the Office of the Ombudsman could investigate Bolante. And if the Senators want to arrest him, they should first secure a warrant of arrest from a court. But Zulueta said he will only allow officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration to “process” his client upon his arrival. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez already instructed NBI director Nestor Mantaring to “receive” Bolante “as is required in all cases pf returning Filipinos who are deported from abroad.”

Now the question, who will prevail in arresting, receiving, and processing Jocjoc Bolante? A lot of people is interested with him, a lot of people will be waiting for him when he finally comes home upon release by the US immigration and customs authorities. Like any other Filipino citizen hoping that justice be done to what he did, I want this guy alive to speak what he knows about the multi-million pesos fertilizer scam. But I am afraid too that some shadowy groups may just be lucky to silence him forever.

Some think it would be better if Bolante should submit himself to the custody of the Senate. At least he is safer there. But for how long will he be confined at the St. Luke’s Hospital? That is the question.